The Department of Education reports an overall rise in graduation rates in New York City, despite tougher requirements for students to receive diplomas.
High school graduation rates are up across the board in New York City public schools, according to Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. An estimated 70.5 percent of the Class of 2015 graduated in four years.
According to the Department of Education, Hispanic students graduation rates jumped 2.5 points to 64 percent, Asian students gained 2.4 points to 85 percent, black students increased 1.7 points to 65.4 percent, and white students jumped 1.4 points to 82 percent.
Students with disabilities graduation rate rose 1 point to 37.6 percent, and English Language Learners soared 4 points to 36.5 percent. Conversely, the city’s drop out rate declined slightly declined 0.7 percent points overall to 9 percent, according to the New York Times.
The graduation requirements were recently raised, and the exams have become more difficult in alignment with nation-wide Common Core standards. To receive a high school diploma in New York City, students must pass five Regents exams with a score of at least 65.
There are skeptics of the data, however, who claim that the increased graduation rates are actually reflections of lowered standards within the school system. The watchdog advocacy group Parents Union claim that high school students are receiving diplomas despite poor preparation, simply to boost the Department of Education’s stats. The disparity between graduating from high school and being prepared for higher education is significant; despite the growth of graduation rates, very little gains were made when assessing student’s academic readiness for college – fewer than half of New York City high school graduates met these benchmarks.
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